Rock legend Robert Plant, feel-good hitmakers The Strumbellas, Smooth Sailin’ soulman Leon Bridges and a triple header of 90s-rock outfits are headed for the main stage at this weekend’s edition of Ottawa’s CityFolk festival. The fun starts Thursday, Sept. 12 and runs to Sunday, Sept. 15 at Lansdowne Park.

The festival features performers on two stages: the main, outdoor City Stage on Lansdowne’s Great Lawn, and the RavenLaw Stage, located inside Aberdeen Pavilion. There’s also an on-site food court, merch table, craft beverages by Mill Street Brewery and a kids’ zone that will be in operation Saturday and Sunday.

Of course, the big news is Plant’s return to Ottawa for the first time since 2011, when the Led Zep frontman appeared at the Ottawa Jazz Festival. This time, he brings his Sensational Space Shifters band and the psychedelic folky-blues of his 2017 Carry Fire album. They close the festival on Sept. 15.

People watch from the vantage point of a grass-covered slope as Whitehorse performs on the last evening of CityFolk at Lansdowne Park on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018.David Kawai /
Postmedia

But first, leading up to that auspicious finale is an eclectic mix of musical entertainment, starting with the eagerly anticipated return of one of Canada’s most successful exports, The Strumbellas. The Ontario band made an all-too- brief appearance on Parliament Hill as part of this summer’s Canada Day lineup, whetting appetites for their full set at CityFolk on Thursday.

Dig out your plaid shirt and combat boots to relive the grunge era on Friday, with a live soundtrack supplied by Canadian rockers Our Lady Peace and their American counterparts in Live and Bush. Dear Rouge is also on the main stage, while the secondary stage on Friday features singer-songwriter Donovan Woods and the cinematic spectacle of electropop fave Rich Aucoin.

The 30-year-old American soul man, Leon Bridges, headlines Saturday’s main stage, with support by Hey Rosetta! frontman Tim Baker, soft-pop duo Rhye and songwriter-poet Saul Williams. Highlights of the RavenLaw schedule that day include California’s Eleni Mandell, Ontario rocker Lee Harvey Osmond and a special tribute to Ottawa’s songwriting legend, David Wiffen, featuring a who’s-who of the local scene.

The festival wraps up on Sunday with a diverse bill, topped by Plant, but also including main-stage shows by folk-rockers The East Pointers, heart-tugging American singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus and California roots rockers Dawes. Headed to the RavenLaw stage are L.A. road warrior The White Buffalo and Canuck folk duo Harrow Fair, as well as afternoon showcases by the Bluesfest music school’s ukulele camp and rock university.

FILE: Fans at the CityFolk Festival.Wayne Cuddington /
Postmedia

General-admission passes for the entire weekend are $160 (taxes included). Day passes, pick-two passes and VIP day passes are also available. VIP weekend passes are sold out. Go to cityfolkfestival.com for tickets and schedule information. Children nine and under are admitted free with a ticket-holding adult. The festival runs rain or shine.

In addition to the musical riches presented on the main site, CityFolk’s offshoot festival, Marvest, once again takes over the shops, bars and restaurants of Bank Street. Dozens of acts from Ottawa and beyond will play free shows in clubs such as Irene’s Pub, but also in storefronts that don’t usually feature live music, on Sept. 13 and 14. New this year is a shuttle bus that will ferry fans to venues along the Bank Street strip.